US-backed effort to disarm Iraq’s Iran-linked militias hits setback, experts say

US-backed efforts by the Iraqi government to disarm Iran-linked militias have encountered fresh challenges. While Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi previously emphasized the necessity of restricting weapons to state control, his security advisor, Qasim al-Araji, announced that September 30 is merely the date for the international coalition's departure, not a deadline for the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) to surrender their weapons. Experts suggest that the deep penetration of these militias into state institutions and their willingness to use force have hindered disarmament efforts. Entifadh Qanbar, a former spokesman for the deputy prime minister of Iraq, alleged that IRGC Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani instructed militia leaders during a recent visit to Baghdad to resist disarmament. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Tsurkov, a senior fellow at the New Lines Institute, noted that the Iraqi government has been forced to back down when confronted by these militias, which are prepared to use violence against security forces. A notable example of this dynamic was the transfer of Abbas al-Yaqubi, an intelligence official for the PMU, back to the organization's own intelligence branch shortly after his arrest by the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service, an event viewed as a significant setback for the government.